Revolution and Change

2014 W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

 Symphony No. 3
music in the style of heroic greatness
heroism is Beethovens own
heroism as portrayed in ancient Greek and Roman
literature
first movement, possible interpretation
story of challenge, struggle, final victory within enlarged
sonata form
protagonist: opening motive
pastoral, triple meter (Deutscher Tanz?)
implies common origin
presented in the cello, soft dynamic
The Hero

2014 W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

 Symphony No. 3
heroic content: treatment of opening motive
in sequence, chromatic tail rising
new theme in minor
strives upward, tumbles back down
achieves new form, sustains high note
scored for horn, fanfare; potential for heroism realized

antagonist: element from first-theme group

leaping figure, strong accents on weak beats
forceful duple meter against serene triple meter
The Antagonist

2014 W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

 Symphony No. 3
conflict and resolution: development
builds to dissonant climax
main motive struggles to reassert itself
new form of motive; leaping figure without offbeat accents
transformation of both motives; resolution in favor of main
motive
victory: confirmed in recapitulation
leaping figure omitted
long coda revisits episodes; retraces path back to victory
Hero and Antagonist

2014 W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

 Symphony No. 3
other movements, aspects of heroism
slow movement: mourning a fallen hero
Funeral March in C Minor
third movement: calls to battle
quick scherzo, horn calls in Trio
finale: invocation of Prometheus
complex mixture of variations
theme from Beethovens ballet music, The Creatures of
Prometheus
fugal, developmental, marchlike episodes
 Symphony No. 3
public premiere, 1805
difficult for audience members to grasp
sacrificed immediate widespread appeal
gained musical freedom to write as he chose
references to French Republic
second movement
imitates roll of muffled drums, Revolutionary processions
C-major section: character of Revolutionary hymn
originally titled Bonaparte
The Storming of the Bastille

2014 W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

 Revolution, War, and Music,
17891815
The French Revolution
inspired in part by Enlightenment ideas
178992: first phase, reformist
179294: second phase, French republic declared
179499: third phase, moderate constitution, economic
hardships
Napoleon Bonaparte
army general and war hero
1799, First Consul of the Republic1804, crowned
himself emperor
1815, final defeat, battle at Waterloo in Belgium
 Revolution, War, and Music,
17891815 (contd)
effects of the Revolution
Revolutionary motto: libert, egalit, fraternit
(liberty, equality, brotherhood)
possibility of freedom, democratic reform, abolition of
rank and privilege
new concept of the nation
 Revolution, War, and Music,
17891815 (contd)
Music and the Revolution
popular songs, messages of the Revolution
marches and symphonies, public ceremonies
large choral works, Revolutionary hymns:
government-sponsored festivals
government-supported opra and opra comique
librettos subject to censorship
plots on themes of the Revolution
 Revolution, War, and Music,
17891815 (contd)
Music and the Revolution (contd)
Paris Conservatoire founded by the government, 1795
education based on merit
musicians trained through standard curriculum
model for conservatories throughout Europe
 Revolution, War, and Music,
17891815 (contd)
The Industrial Revolution
new technologies, economy based on manufacturing
by machine
began in Britain, late eighteenth century
spread across Europe and North America
included rise of instrument-making firms
mass production lowered costs, drove out competitors
brought unprecedented prosperity
disruptive; threatened traditional ways of life
 Ludwig van Beethoven
(17701827)
Popularity as composer and cultural icon
continue to this day
born in Bonn, Germany
studied piano, violin with his father, Johann
1792, moved to Vienna
studied with Haydn
cultivated patrons among aristocracy
1812, letter to Immortal Beloved
gradual hearing loss, crisis in 1802
 Ludwig van Beethoven
(17701827) (contd)
Popularity as composer and cultural icon
continue to this day (contd)
1815, guardian of his nephew, Karl; troubled
relationship
funeral procession, over 10,000 people
major works: nine symphonies, eleven overtures, five
piano concertos, one violin concerto, sixteen string
quartets, nine piano trios, ten violin sonatas, five cello
sonatas, thirty-two piano sonatas, opera Fidelio,
Missa solemnis, Mass in C Major, song cycle An
die ferne Geliebte, and numerous other works
 Ludwig van Beethoven
(17701827) (contd)
Career and music reflect tumultuous changes
steeped in Enlightenment ideas
affected by the French Revolution
idealized then disillusioned by Napoleon
works divided into three periods:
17701802, youth in Bonn, early Vienna years
18021814, new level of drama and expression
18151827, introspective late works
 Circumstances in the
Middle Period
reputation and patrons
foremost pianist and composer for piano
established reputation as symphonic and string quartet
composer
lifetime annuity to stay in Vienna
Beethoven free to follow his own inspiration
publishers competed for Beethovens music
Beethoven drove hard bargains; publishers bid against
each other
published works in several countries at once
wrote on commission
 Circumstances in the
Middle Period (contd)
notebooks of sketches
themes and plans for compositions
deliberate way of composing
sophisticated relation of each part to the whole
 Circumstances in the
Middle Period (contd)
deafness: psychological crisis, 1802
considered suicide, resolved to continue composing
played in public less and less
composed, occasionally conducted
compositions reflect struggle of his life
works become like narratives or dramas
conflict, climax, catharsis
thematic material often character of protagonist
struggles against great odds, emerges triumphant
replaces notion of music as entertainment
Sketchbook (Symphony No. 3)

2014 W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

 Circumstances in the
Middle Period (contd)
style characteristics
models of Haydn and Mozart
genres, forms, melodic types, phrasing, textures
expanded forms; unprecedented lengths
economy of material
ideas subjected to intense development
ingenious transformation of themes